Volcanic Zone.
Thick black smoke spread through the air like ink, casting a heavy, oppressive veil over the entire landscape. Volcanic ash fell like snow, turning the already gloomy sky even darker.
Scalding magma erupted periodically from the craters, shooting into the sky like fiery dragons. The raging flames and surging lava were enough to make anyone keep their distance.
Two figures dressed in black stood at the mouth of a volcano like a pair of silent statues, looking down at the barren, chaotic land below.
They were none other than the last two Men in Black from Universe 10.
But they weren't alone.
Not far away stood Universe 3's final remaining fighter, Paparoni.
The brilliant scientist of Universe 3 was in terrible shape. His clothes were torn, and his face was covered in dust and exhaustion. The two Men in Black had clearly been tormenting him for quite some time.
"Damn you! You used such underhanded tactics to eliminate Borareta and the others one by one!"
Paparoni angrily recalled what had just happened.
The two Men in Black had worked together seamlessly, isolating and defeating their opponents one at a time. First, they joined forces against the powerful Borareta, overwhelming him before he could fight back. Then they turned on Pancéa and caught him by surprise. Finally, they struck Koitsukai while his guard was down, eliminating him before he could react.
Just like that, every other fighter from Universe 3 had fallen, leaving Paparoni completely isolated.
One of the Men in Black stood with his hands behind his back and spoke without emotion.
"To secure our final victory, we had no choice. Every potential variable that could affect the outcome had to be eliminated."
His voice was ice-cold.
"After all, Paparoni, we know that you're a genuine scientific genius."
"The robots we just defeated may not have looked like much," the other Man in Black added in a mocking tone. "They seemed like nothing more than piles of scrap metal."
He paused, his expression growing colder.
"But fortunately, we know a little about what you're capable of. That's why we had to act decisively and dispose of those three heaps of junk.
"To prevent any unexpected complications, we had to eliminate them one by one."
A cruel smile appeared on his lips.
"We would never leave you the slightest opportunity, especially not enough time for those robots to combine into a terrifying monster!"
Both Men in Black grinned viciously as they looked down at the battered Paparoni.
Paparoni trembled, his face filled with shock and fear.
"W-Who are you? How could you possibly know about that?"
The Man in Black smiled calmly.
"It's only natural that you don't know me. The Tournament of Power has only just begun in this timeline.
"But I've already participated in one Tournament of Power."
At that moment, he suddenly tore off his mysterious black cloak.
An unfamiliar face was revealed before Paparoni's eyes.
Even at such close range, Paparoni didn't recognize him at all. It was as though they had never crossed paths before.
While he was still struggling to figure it out, the Man in Black suddenly launched a lightning-fast kick into his chest.
Bang!
The blow struck Paparoni like a sledgehammer, knocking him off balance and sending him crashing onto his back. He hit the ground hard and lay there, unable to move.
The Man in Black didn't give him a moment to recover.
He rushed forward and planted his feet, bringing both hands to his waist with his palms aimed straight at Paparoni.
The stance looked remarkably similar to the Kamehameha.
Before anyone could react, an immense wave of energy erupted from his palms. The dazzling beam shot straight toward Paparoni.
Boom!
Like a raging dragon opening its jaws, the energy blast swallowed Paparoni whole. The tremendous impact launched him away like a cannonball, sending him flying straight out of the arena.
"It doesn't matter if you don't recognize me," the Man in Black said teasingly. "Because I certainly recognize you."
A gentle breeze swept past, gradually revealing the Man in Black's face.
He looked exactly like someone from Universe 7!
"Hmm. It seems bringing you here really was the right decision," the other Man in Black murmured.
Without hesitation, he grabbed his own cloak and tore it away. The two black robes fluttered through the air before drifting to the ground, fully revealing the men beneath them.
The first Man in Black was Gohan Black.
The second was Zamasu, whose body showed no signs of having been exchanged.
Gohan Black nodded. "That's right. In my world, the robots created by Paparoni proved rather troublesome. At the time, I had yet to exchange bodies with Gohan, so I watched the entire Tournament of Power."
A faint hint of pride appeared on his face.
"Gohan's performance in my universe's Tournament of Power also far exceeded my expectations. Even I was astonished by the power and potential he displayed. That was why I ultimately decided to exchange bodies with him."
[Author's Note: I don't know how many of you have played Gohan's "What If" storyline in Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, where Gohan becomes the protagonist, so let's just use a similar explanation here. The story is more or less the same, including Zamasu later stealing Gohan's body. In this novel, Gohan Black took the body of a post-Tournament of Power Gohan similar to the one from that alternate storyline. It isn't particularly important, though. He'll be gone soon since he's only a minor character.]
The other Zamasu replied, "Indeed. I must admit, you have excellent judgment."
The moment they finished speaking, a swirling gateway appeared behind them.
"Let's go. We've already cleared this place out," Gohan Black said. "According to Lord Zamasu, we're the only two fighters from our universe still remaining."
Zamasu nodded, and the two of them started toward the gateway.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Without warning, a crack split open in the sky. Countless green energy blasts poured from it, raining down on Gohan Black.
Both men immediately stopped.
Gohan Black smiled confidently. "Heh. Has another fool come to die?"
Zamasu, however, instantly became wary.
Gohan Black raised an energy barrier in front of them. At that very moment, a savage face suddenly appeared on the other side.
The newcomer bared his teeth in a mocking grin.
"Heh-heh... Kakarot. It's been a long time."
Gohan Black stared at him in confusion.
'Kakarot? Isn't that Gohan's Saiyan name?'
'I exchanged bodies with Gohan... Could this fool have mistaken me for Son Goku?'
'Whatever. I'm about to eliminate him anyway.'
Gohan Black immediately made his move, drawing back his fist before smashing it into Z Broly's face.
Bang!
Despite the apparent force behind the punch, it didn't harm Z Broly in the slightest.
Gohan Black could practically feel question marks appearing over his head.
"What's going on?!"
Z Broly didn't care about any of that. Whenever he saw someone who resembled Son Goku, his rationality was cut in half while his bloodlust increased by a hundred percent.
Green energy gathered inside Z Broly's mouth, its glow becoming more dazzling by the second.
Gohan Black finally sensed that something was wrong. The man before him was far more violent than he had imagined.
Only then did he realize the terrible mistake he had made.
He hadn't transformed.
But it was already too late.
Realizing there was no longer time to escape, Gohan Black shouted to Zamasu behind him, "Lord Zamasu! Run!"
The green energy beam tore straight through Gohan Black's barrier.
Zamasu immediately chose to flee. However, the blast was so overwhelmingly powerful that he needed to ensure his own escape.
Without hesitation, he fired an energy blast into Gohan Black's back, shoving him directly into Z Broly's attack.
Zamasu then raced toward the passage leading to the next round without looking back.
Gohan Black wasn't nearly as fortunate.
His bloodcurdling screams echoed endlessly throughout the volcanic zone.
(End Of This Chapter)
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